universal-user-agent vs ua-parser-js vs bowser vs platform vs detect-browser vs user-agent
Browser Detection Libraries Comparison
1 Year
universal-user-agentua-parser-jsbowserplatformdetect-browseruser-agentSimilar Packages:
What's Browser Detection Libraries?

Browser detection libraries are essential tools in web development that help identify the user's browser and its capabilities. This information can be crucial for optimizing user experience, ensuring compatibility, and implementing browser-specific features or fixes. These libraries provide developers with the ability to tailor their applications based on the environment in which they are running, enhancing functionality and user satisfaction.

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universal-user-agent18,490,6362110.1 kB0a month agoISC
ua-parser-js17,692,8169,7241.23 MB2210 hours agoAGPL-3.0-or-later
bowser17,414,6255,592-965 years agoMIT
platform3,181,1743,238-345 years agoMIT
detect-browser1,502,81269627 kB434 years agoMIT
user-agent1,862-----
Feature Comparison: universal-user-agent vs ua-parser-js vs bowser vs platform vs detect-browser vs user-agent

Browser Detection Accuracy

  • universal-user-agent:

    Universal-user-agent ensures consistent detection across client and server environments, maintaining high accuracy in identifying user agents regardless of the context.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js is known for its comprehensive parsing capabilities, accurately identifying browser versions, operating systems, and device types from user-agent strings.

  • bowser:

    Bowser provides high accuracy in detecting modern browsers and their versions, including mobile and desktop environments. It uses a well-maintained list of user-agent strings to ensure reliable results.

  • platform:

    Platform excels in providing accurate detection of both browsers and operating systems, making it a versatile choice for applications that need to adapt to different environments.

  • detect-browser:

    Detect-browser offers a straightforward detection mechanism that accurately identifies major browsers but may lack detailed versioning for less common browsers.

  • user-agent:

    User-agent provides basic detection capabilities with reasonable accuracy, suitable for lightweight applications that do not require extensive details.

Library Size and Performance

  • universal-user-agent:

    Universal-user-agent is designed to be efficient in both client and server environments, ensuring good performance without compromising on detection capabilities.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js has a moderate size but offers extensive features, balancing performance with functionality for applications that require detailed user-agent analysis.

  • bowser:

    Bowser is lightweight, making it ideal for performance-sensitive applications. Its small footprint ensures quick loading times and minimal impact on overall application performance.

  • platform:

    Platform is slightly larger due to its comprehensive capabilities, but it remains efficient for most applications without significant performance overhead.

  • detect-browser:

    Detect-browser is also lightweight and designed for quick execution, making it suitable for applications where performance is a key concern.

  • user-agent:

    User-agent is very lightweight, making it an excellent choice for applications where minimalism and speed are priorities.

Ease of Use

  • universal-user-agent:

    Universal-user-agent is designed for ease of use across different environments, providing a consistent API that simplifies integration.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js has a slightly steeper learning curve due to its extensive capabilities, but it offers clear documentation to assist developers.

  • bowser:

    Bowser features a simple API that is easy to integrate into projects, making it accessible for developers of all skill levels.

  • platform:

    Platform provides a user-friendly API but may require a bit more understanding due to its broader feature set compared to simpler libraries.

  • detect-browser:

    Detect-browser is designed for simplicity, with a straightforward API that allows for quick implementation and minimal setup.

  • user-agent:

    User-agent is very easy to use, making it a great choice for developers looking for quick and simple browser detection.

Community and Support

  • universal-user-agent:

    Universal-user-agent has a growing community, with support available through documentation and user contributions.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js has a large user base and active contributions, ensuring robust support and frequent updates to maintain accuracy.

  • bowser:

    Bowser has a strong community and is actively maintained, ensuring ongoing support and updates to keep up with browser changes.

  • platform:

    Platform benefits from a decent community and regular updates, making it a reliable choice for ongoing projects.

  • detect-browser:

    Detect-browser has a smaller community but is still maintained, providing basic support for users.

  • user-agent:

    User-agent has limited community support, but it is straightforward enough that most users can troubleshoot common issues independently.

Extensibility

  • universal-user-agent:

    Universal-user-agent offers extensibility features, making it adaptable for various use cases, especially in server-side applications.

  • ua-parser-js:

    ua-parser-js is highly extensible, allowing developers to modify or add parsing rules to suit their application's requirements.

  • bowser:

    Bowser allows for easy customization and extension, enabling developers to add their own detection rules if needed.

  • platform:

    Platform provides some extensibility options, allowing developers to adapt its functionality to specific needs.

  • detect-browser:

    Detect-browser is not highly extensible, focusing instead on simplicity and ease of use without additional customization features.

  • user-agent:

    User-agent is not designed for extensibility, focusing on providing a simple and effective solution without customization.

How to Choose: universal-user-agent vs ua-parser-js vs bowser vs platform vs detect-browser vs user-agent
  • universal-user-agent:

    Choose universal-user-agent for projects that need to handle user-agent strings in a universal way, especially in server-side applications. It provides a consistent API for both client and server environments.

  • ua-parser-js:

    Use ua-parser-js if you need a robust and well-maintained library that offers extensive parsing capabilities for user-agent strings. It's suitable for applications that require detailed information about the user's environment.

  • bowser:

    Choose Bowser if you need a lightweight and fast solution for browser detection with a focus on modern browsers. It provides detailed information about the browser version and platform, making it suitable for applications that require precise detection.

  • platform:

    Opt for platform if you require a comprehensive library that not only detects browsers but also provides information about the operating system and device type. This is useful for applications that need to adapt to various environments.

  • detect-browser:

    Select detect-browser for a simple and straightforward API that allows for quick browser detection. It's ideal for projects where you need a minimalistic approach without the overhead of additional features.

  • user-agent:

    Select user-agent if you want a simple and effective way to parse user-agent strings without the complexity of larger libraries. It's perfect for lightweight applications that need basic detection.

README for universal-user-agent

universal-user-agent

Get a user agent string across all JavaScript Runtime Environments

@latest Build Status

import { getUserAgent } from "universal-user-agent";

const userAgent = getUserAgent();
// userAgent will look like this
// in browser: "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.13; rv:61.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/61.0"
// in node: Node.js/v8.9.4 (macOS High Sierra; x64)

License

ISC